Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts 

salt and pepper

1 Tablespoon olive oil

 6 Tablespoons butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Flour to dust the chicken

1 chopped shallot

2 cloves minced garlic 

1 cup marsala wine

1 cup chicken stock

2 cup mushrooms slice thick

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2 teaspoons chopped thyme

Cut the chicken breasts into medallions around 4 per breast. Flatten large pieces with a mallet. Season with salt and pepper then dust with seasoned flour. Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high flame. Add the olive oil and two tablespoons of butter. When the butter foams, add the chicken pieces and brown on both sides. Transfer to a plate, cover and set aside. 

Add the mushrooms to the pan adding additional oil and butter.  Brown the mushrooms on one side then toss to brown the other side.  Once the mushrooms have browned add shallots, garlic and salt, sauté until onions and garlic are soft about 1-2 minutes.  Add your Marsala wine and broth to mushrooms, simmer until thickened 5-10 minutes.  Add the chicken to the mushrooms and sauce, cook a few minutes to heat up chicken. Just before serving add 2 Tablespoons of butter to help thicken the sauce. 

Arrange the chicken on a serving platter pouring mushrooms and sauce over the top.  Garnish with some chopped parsley.

Chicken Pot Pie

Everyone has their favorite comfort food. Mac and Cheese, chicken and dumplings, a pasta dish, a crock pot slow cooked meal, grilled cheese with tomato soup, and of course "Chicken Pot Pie."   I found this recipe in one of those small recipe books you find at the checkout stand in a grocery store.  It has become one of my favorite recipes.  I have been asked multiple times for the recipe, so here it is for all of you to enjoy!  I also make a more supplicated pot pie with a flakey herbed pie crust and fresh herbs in the sauce, see the link below.

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5743200419511770517/2799011147333306282

 Ingredients

3 cups of cooked cubed chicken
1 cup diced cooked carrots
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup cubed potatoes
6 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
4 cups milk
2 Tablespoons instant chicken bouillon or 6 bouillon cubes
salt and pepper to taste
In a large saucepan melt butter, stir in flour and cook for a few minutes to remove the raw flour taste.  Add in chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.  Slowly pour in milk and stir briskly to avoid any lumps.  Add chicken, potatoes and vegetables and transfer to a baking dish.  Top with your favorite biscuit or pie crust.  
Topping - Drop Biscuit
2 1/4 cups of Bisquick mix
2/3 cups milk

Combine the mix and milk, drop around the top of the chicken mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and the biscuit is cooked through, approximately 30 minutes.

Another option is to roll out the biscuit dough and cut it into individual rounds.  Lay on top of chicken mixture and brush the top of each biscuit with egg wash.  Or purchase a can of pre-made biscuits to top the chick with  

If you would like a more traditional chicken pot pie topping, use a purchased pie crust or make your favorite crust to line the bottom of the baking dish with a second crust for the top.  Brush the top with egg wash and make a few slits on the top for steam to escape.

  

Polenta

 From the Kitchen of Maxine Bardessono

6 cups of water

2 cups polenta

1 teaspoon salt

In a large pot bring the water to a boil and add the salt.  Add in polenta in a steady stream stirring continually with a wooden spoon.  Once you have added all the polenta, reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to whisk until the polenta no longer sinks to the bottom of the pot about 2 minutes.  Continue to simmer and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon unit polenta is creamy about 30 minutes.  

When Katie and Johnny cooked, they placed a clean cloth over the pot of polenta then a cutting board over the cloth. The pot was inverted, and the polenta was wrapped in the towel to keep warm. This sounds messy but the polenta was on the firm side, so it kept its shape. The towel keeps the polenta warm.

Braised Beef with Polenta

 

My grandfather John Bardessono and his brother-in law Martin Zucco purchased 20 acres of land in Yountville in 1926, my dad was just 2 years old.  Uncle Martin was married to my grandfathers sister Carlotta Bardessono who died in Anyox, British Columbia two years before their move to California.  Uncle Martin had two daughters, Mary and Katie.  They were both in there 20's when they came to California and lived in Berkeley with an aunt.   

I remember Katie and her husband Johnny Valerio visiting the ranch, as they called it.  They would always bring food for dinner. Johnny often cooked polenta in my Mom & Dads kitchen.  I would get a chair and put it on the dinning room side to stand and watch him cook.   He would get a large pot, Noni's copper pot, and fill it with water. As the water began to boil Johnny would sprinkle in the polenta stirring constantly until it had the right consistency.  

There was always some type of meat in a yummy tomato sauce.  My Mom often make a braised venison or beef stew or my sisters favorite, sausage links in gravy.  We would pile the polenta on our plates, make a little well and fill it with sauce and meat.  Noni always had cottage cheese with the polenta, something creamy and cool.  But Katie and Johnny would bring a soft cheese to put into the middle of the polenta. The Teleme cheese would melt with the heat of the polenta and meat. So yummy!

My Dad and Mom often searched antique stores for copper pots to give to each on other their children.  I believe Noni's copper pot is at the cabin in Tahoe.  I hope you enjoy this recipe with some polenta as much as my family does.

Ingredients:

2-3 lb. chuck roast cut into 2" cubes

Olive Oil

2 cloves of garlic

1 medium onion diced

2 cups beef broth

1/2 cup red wine or other liquid

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons of Italian Seasoning

1bay leaf

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley chopped 

salt and pepper to taste

Noni would add fresh basil to her stew, I'm sure she must have added mushrooms, that would be yummy!

In small batches brown meat in Dutch oven, to help the meat brown pat the meat dry with a paper towel.  Remove the brown meat from the pan and set aside.  Add in the onions and garlic and sauté until tender.  Add in the remaining ingredients and stir until combined.  Return the meat to the Dutch oven and simmer on the stove top for 2 hours or in the oven at 350 degrees until tender.  Add enough water to cover the meat.

Almond or Cashew Chicken

This is as good as any almond chicken you will find at a Chinese Restaurant.  There is a lot of chopping with this recipe, I've prepped the veggies the day before to make the process faster.  I was lucky enough to get this recipe form Audrey Luke in Napa.  Love this lady!  She has so many talents and shares them often.   

2 whole chicken breasts (4 halves), cubed

3 T oil 

1 8 oz. can bamboo shoots

1 8 oz., can sliced water chestnuts

1/2 lb. snow peas

1/4 lb. sliced mushrooms

1 yellow onion sliced thin

6 stalks celery cut julienne

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups chicken stock

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

2 Tablespoons water

1/4 cup raw almonds or cashews

Marinade

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp soy sauce

1 Tablespoon oyster sauce

3 thin slices fresh ginger root

dash pepper

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

2 green onions slivered

Mix the marinade ingredients, pour over the cubed chicken and marinade at least 1 hour.

In a large pre heated skillet or wok add 1 tsp oil adding bamboo shoots and water chestnuts.  Remove from the pan and set aside.   Add another 1 tsp oil to pan and fry the mushrooms, celery, onion and snow peas adding the salt and sugar.   Stir a few minutes until vegetables are slightly cooked, do not overcook.   Remove and set aside.

Add another 2 teaspoons of oil and stir in the marinated chicken cooking for 3 minutes until brown.   Add the chicken stock and cook for another 10 minutes.  Add in precooked vegetables and nuts; bring to boil add in the dissolved cornstarch and cook until thick.

Serve on platter with white rice, garnish with more slivered green onions.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

6 Chicken Breasts pounded out to 1/2 inch thick
6 slices of thin sliced ham
6 slices of Swiss Cheese
2 cups flour
2 cups breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp pepper
4 eggs beaten

Use a sharp knife to slice a chicken breast horizontally, starting at the thickest part and cutting almost to the other side (do not cut all the way through) until, when opened, breast lies flat. Place between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound to an even 1/4 inch thick. Remove top layer of plastic; season with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining chicken. Layer 1 1/2 ounces each of cheese and ham over surface of a breast; fold in half to enclose filling. Repeat with remaining chicken, cheese, and ham.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place flour in a shallow dish; season with salt and pepper. Beat eggs with 2 tablespoons water in another dish: season with salt and pepper. Place breadcrumbs in a third dish; season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium. Meanwhile, dredge a breast in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in eggs, turning to evenly coat. Dredge in breadcrumbs, pressing gently to adhere. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining chicken. Add half the chicken to skillet and cook, turning once halfway through, until chicken is cooked through and golden brown, and cheese is melted, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet to drain. Keep warm in oven. Cook remaining chicken with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Serve immediately.

Chicken Scallopini

 

 

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts butterflied and cut in half
2 Tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
dash black pepper
1 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoons butter
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup beef broth
3 large sage leaves
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Chopped parsley for garnish

Pound chicken breast around 1/4 inch thick.  Combine flour, salt and pepper and dredge each chicken breast in the seasoned flour and set aside.   In a large sauté pan melt butter and oil, add the coated chicken and sauté until brown on each side. 

Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.  Add mushrooms to pan and sauté around 5 minutes. Add in the beef broth, herbs and chicken and cook over low heat for amount until chicken is cooked through.   Add more liquid during cooking if needed, garnish with chopped parsley.

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts butterflied and cut in half
salt and pepper
5 Tablespoons olive oil
6 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (around 2 lemons)
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
1/4 cup capers, rinsed
Chopped parsley for garnish

Butterfly the chicken breasts and cut into half to make 2 fillets out of each breast.  Between 2 sheets of plastic wrap pound chicken out to around 1/4 inch thick.   Season both sides with salt and pepper.   

 
In a large sauté pan melt 4 Tablespoons better with olive oil and sauté chicken breasts until brown about 5-10 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan.  In the same pan that the chicken was cooked in, add 2 Tablespoons of butter, lemon juice, and wine.  Boil sauce over medium heat until reduced in half.   Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with parsley.

Minestrone Soup - From the Kitchen of Katie Valerio

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Cioppino - Italian Fish Soup

 

Cioppino brings back memories of tailgating in Candlestick Park with Thom and my parents.  Dad loved the San Francisco 49ers and had seasons tickets for many years.  A few times a year Thom and I would join my parents for a game.  We would leave early in the morning in order to tailgate and watch the 1:00pm game.   We had some wonderful tailgate meals, one was Cioppino.  Mom would make the base beforehand and get the fish ready.  All we had to do when we got to the park was heat up everything and enjoy.   This base is my mom's recipe, it's simple but so good.  Now we enjoy this delicious meal around Christmas time, to celebrate the birth of our Savior the "Fishers of Men". 

Base:
3/4 cups butter
2 medium onions chopped
2-3 cloves garlic
1 bunch parsley chopped
2 large cans tomatoes (1 lb. 12 oz. each)
2 cans (14 oz. each) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 1/2 cup white wine
1 Tablespoon basil leaves
1/2 tsp thyme  
1/2 tsp oregano
Melt butter, add onions garlic and parsley, sauté until onions are soft.  Add tomatoes, liquid and seasonings, cover and simmer 30 minutes.  The base can be make ahead.  If omitting wine increase water to 2 1/2 cups.
Add to the base:
1 pound shrimp (16-20 count) cleaned and deveined
1 pound Scallop
1 whole cooked Dungeness crab
1 pound clams
1 pound Cod, cut in 2" pieces

Clean and devein the shrimp.  After the Crab has been cleaned, remove the legs from the body, cut the remaining piece into quarters.  Add the seafood in the following order: first the cod, then the shrimp, scallops, and finally the clams and crab. Do not stir! Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, cover, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until all the seafood is cooked and the clams are open.  Ladle into large shallow bowls, garnish with parsley and lemon wedge.  Serve with sour dough baguette.


**How to clean the crab: Turn the crab on its back and remove the triangular shaped flap called the “apron” and discard. Hold the crab vertically and pull the top shell (called the carapace) away from the body and set aside. Rinse and clean the top shell and reserve if you want to use in your presentation. Remove the gills/lungs and discard.

Clam Chowder

 

Ingredients:

3 8oz clam juice
1-pound potatoes, diced
3 Tablespoons butter
2 cups onions chopped
1 cup celery chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 cloves minced garlic
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup flour
6 6 oz. cans chopped clams
2 cups heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

In a pot bring clam juice and potatoes to a boil.  Reduce heat to med-low, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender. In a large pot melt butter, add onions, celery, parsley, garlic and bay leaf sauté until vegetables are tender.   Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes (do not allow to brown).  Gradually whisk in reserved clam juice from the canned clams.   Add potato mixture, clams and cream,   Simmer for 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend, stirring frequently. Remove bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.

May be served in individual bread bowls.     

Black BeanSoup

1-pound dried black beans

4 cloves of garlic

2 onions, chopped

1 green bell pepper chopped

2 stalk's celery chopped

1 large carrot chopped

1/4 bunch fresh cilantro

1 bay leaf

olive oil

2 springs fresh oregano

2 Tablespoons ground cumin

1 smoked ham hock

1 jalapeno, split and seeded

1 3/4 quarts chicken stock

Salt and pepper 

Garnish with shredded jack cheese, sour cream, lime, cilantro 

Pick through the beans and discard any debris, wash under cold water.  In a large pot over medium add vegetables and sauté until soft.  Add beans, ham hock, spices and stock.  Cover pot and simmer 2 hours until beans are tender (do not add salt at this point).  Remove the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.  

Serve the soup with your choice of toppings,

Pasta Fagioli Soup

Ingredients: 

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion diced

1 large carrot diced

3 stalks celery chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

2 14.5 oz canned tomatoes

1 15 oz can red kidney beans with liquid

1 15 oz can great northern beans with liquid

1 15 oz tomato sauce

1 12 oz can V-8 juice

1 Tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

salt to taste

1/2-pound ditalini pasta

5 cups chicken broth

Brown the ground beef in a large pot, drain off fat.   Add onions, carrot, celery and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients, except the pasta and simmer for 1 hour.  Just before the soup has completed cooking in a separate pot boil water and cook paste until al dente (slightly firm), drain.  Add pasta to the soup post and simmer for the remining 5 minutes.  Check seasonings and adjust with salt and pepper, serve in large soup bowls,

Garnish with fresh grated Parmesan cheese